At least 35 people were killed in southeastern Benin on Saturday, September 23, after a fire broke out at a shop where witnesses had remarked that gasoline was being offloaded, according to reports by a justice ministry representative.
The fire had reportedly broken out at 09:30 pm local time in Seme-Podji municipality, close to the border shared with Nigeria.
“The fire burned down the store and according to an initial assessment resulted in 35 deaths including one child,” said
Prosecutor Abdoubaki Adam-Bongle in a ministry statement had revealed that the fire had razed down the store and according to an initial assessment, 35 people had lost their lives, including a child.
The Prosecutor had also added that an investigation had been opened, to find out the cause.
Witnesses interrogated had commented that the fire had probably started during the unloading of bags of gasoline.
At least a dozen other people were grievously injured and are presently being treated in hospital, according to Adam-Bongle.
A video circulating on social media, purportedly of the fire, revealed a tower of black smoke and flames, emitting into the air above what appeared to be a market place as alarmed people watched from a safe distance. However, the authenticity of this video, as regards to the fire incident had not been verified by Reuters.
